Hitzlsperger on two-week trial

, 25 September, 28comments  |  Jump to most recent
Thomas Hitzlsperger has started a two-week trial at Everton as he bids to secure a return to the Premier League.

Thomas Hitzlsperger has been out of contract since being released by Wolfsburg at the end of last season. Manager David Moyes is taking a look at the 30-year-old midfielder, who is a free agent.

Moyes is keen to add depth to his squad, after seeing his midfield resources stretched by an early-season thigh injury to Darron Gibson.

Former Germany international Hitzlsperger knows the English game well, having played for Aston Villa early in his career before spending a season at West Ham.

His spell at Upton Park was affected by a serious thigh injury, and Everton will assess his fitness before deciding whether to offer him a deal.

"I have been very pleased with him," Everton assistant manager Steve Round told the Daily Mail.

"Thomas is a long way off playing but we have given him the opportunity to come in and it is up to him now. We will assess him over the next couple of weeks.

"He seems a really good lad and I don't think I have seen him without a smile on his face.

"What will determine whether he gets a contract is his fitness. He has had a bad injury and we would want to see that he could sustain training.

"If he could do that, he would add quality and strength to our squad. He has got a history of playing at the highest level."

Quotes or other material sourced from ESPN Soccernet



Reader Comments (28)

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Kev Johnson
1 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:26:01
That all sounds positive. Let's hope he can prove his fitness during the trial period.

Personally, I much prefer the Northern/Central European style of football to the Latin (Mediterranean/South American) style that a lot of people seem to drool over. Give me a Lothar Matthias over an Iniesta or a Xavi any day.

Chris Cumisky
2 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:49:31
Yeah that Iniesta's shite...
Thomas James
3 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:45:59
Sounds positive, but it might be to late - Gibson will be back in two weeks time and Thomas will have possibly only just signed a contract. That said, if he maintains his fitness over a sustained period I think he would (or at least should) be preferred to Neville based on pace and shooting ability.
Brent Stephens
4 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:51:07
Kev, not sure it's an either/or choice. But what the hell. I value your opinion as a football pundit.

Kev Johnson for Player-Manager-Club Doctor-Sky Pundit

Kev Johnson
5 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:50:17
I didn't say that Chris. I said I prefer the style of play of a Matthias - or, if you prefer a current player, Schweinsteiger - to the Spanish model, which to me is like five a side football played on a big pitch with eleven players. Barcelona bore me (apart from Messi). Germany/Holland entertain me. It's a matter of taste rather than right or wrong.
Dave Lynch
6 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:55:44
Yeah !
That Xavi fella brings fuck all to the table.
Kev Johnson
7 Posted 25/09/2012 at 13:55:32
Brent - thanks for your support, mate.

The club doctor position might just be a job too far for me! Although, at a pinch, I reckon I could run on the pitch and spray something on the leg of an injured player, frowning in a professional manner as I did so. Ruptured cruciate, broken leg, concussion - wouldn't matter, I'd get out the magic spray. I could also make the substitution gesture - you know, the sort of roly-poly hand thing. Thing with that is: how do you know when to stop? Tough call.

Steve King
8 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:03:58
Kev,

I assume you have the same agent as Keith Chegwin??? Weren't you supposed to be signing as our new 40 goal a season man.............now you're settling to be physio?!!

Sid Madrid
9 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:08:46
Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Thomas Hitzlsperger plays in Blue?

No? I'll get me coat...
Andrew Ellams
10 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:12:20
Bringing this guy in couldn't hurt. Gibson has picked up two or three niggly injuries since he came to us so having to somebody with this sort of experience to fill in every now and then would be a huge plus..
Kev Johnson
11 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:13:17
Sid - take your coat off, man. That almost kind of works! May I suggest that chant is only used when we're playing away at Southampton, which is - last time I looked - by the sea? This would allow you to stick closer to the original.

Steve - pay attention! I was just saying (in response to Brent's earlier post) that I could fill in at physio but I wasn't up to being club doctor, what with having my hands full with other stuff - including, yes absolutely, banging in a hatful.

Sam Morrison
12 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:22:43
Seeing the headline I assumed he'd said something to Anton Ferdinand and was now going to furiously retire from the international reckoning in order to concentrate on turning in ever-widening circles, professionally fouling opponents.

Glad it's not that.

Mike Hughes
13 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:33:08
Just checked this Hitzlsperger story on BBC website only to be confronted with a photo of Suarez in the football section.

Every time I see that whining red rodent I want to hit out. Would like Stephen Naismith to introduce his elbow to Suarez in the 3rd minute of injury time when we're 2-0 up. Then stamp on him. Then take a pick-axe and...Do I need anger management therapy?

Christopher Kelly
14 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:33:10
I thought Thomas (the hitzl-man) sperger was in last week for a trial??

Stop dilly-dallying up in the ivory tower, Moyesy, sign someone so we don't need to ever see frosty-tips in the middle of the park again...

On a serious note: we were rejected for Ofoe 2 weeks ago, someone should be in by now, there are only a few free agents out there. "Goooosh" as N. Dynamite once said...

Christopher Kelly
15 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:42:38
No Mike, you've just voiced our collective imaginations for the past 2 years!

Reason #824 I hate "being: Liverpool"... You see that skank playing cards and he still looks like a racist slime twat.

Mike Hughes
16 Posted 25/09/2012 at 14:48:21
#909 Christopher
"racist slime twat". You should copyright that - brilliant!
Kevin Jones
17 Posted 25/09/2012 at 15:05:22
"Racist Slime Twat" I don't normally go in for name calling, but that is a perfect description of him. Eeeeargh... he makes my fecking skin crawl.

And now our lovable friends have been putting nice remarks on Twitter about Mark Halsey, those lovable bunch of lttle scamps that they are. Another one to be swept under the carpet of "wasn't our fault"

Anyway, back to the thread: Yes, I think he'd make a half decent squad member. I liked him at Villa, nice touch, good shot, bit of devillment in him.

James Morgan
18 Posted 25/09/2012 at 15:12:40
For Suarez, I'd go with cock-juggling thundercunt.

As for Thomas Hitlers cheeseburger (no German put down intended as I'm quarter Deutsch), I've always thought we could do with a bit of Bavarian savvy about us.
Plus, I'd sooner see my bone idle Newfoundland in midfield than Phil Neville.

Brent Stephens
19 Posted 25/09/2012 at 15:20:31
Kev Johnson, I think we can solve EFC's financial woes at a stroke here if you'd stop being so self-effacing. Kev Johnson for Player-Manager-Club Doctor-Sky Pundit-Communications Director-Marketing Manager. Think of the wage bill we'd save, and all the TW pundits we'd satisfy by getting rid of so many unloveables! I know you said in an earlier thread that you'd settle for £30k a year, so shall we call it £60k a year for the lot? And you can keep any Sky fees for appearing in the studio for any live matches.

Re Thomas Hitz, I'd give him a go if he's medically ok. But your shout, Kev.

Mike Green
21 Posted 25/09/2012 at 15:49:23
If he can pass the board medically and has a good attitude why not? Sounds like he'd jump at the chance to add to the squad so sounds like a winner all round.

And Kev - if you're talking about style in midfield no one beats Zidane......

Kevin Jones
22 Posted 25/09/2012 at 15:58:19
Pick any of these as your chant Kev

Der der der der de Kevin Johnson
Der der der der de Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson Walks on water lalallalalalala

Who put the ball in the redshite net
Who put the ball in the redshite net
Who put the ball in the redshite net
Super Kevin Johnson etc

Or to the tune of nothing like a dame

There is nothing like Kev Johno nothing in the World
There's not a player in the game who doesn't bow when they hear his name

He's the Doctor
He's the skipper
He's the striker
What a thinker

He's the Chairman
He's a pundit
He supports the team
He runs it

He's a Physio
He's a trainer
He's a superstar
No brainer

So what has he got .. he got the fecking lot

There is nothing like Kev Johno nothing in the World
There's not a player in the game who doesn't bow when they hear his name

Steve Cotton
23 Posted 25/09/2012 at 16:29:04
Kev Jono I agree with you about Barca being boring too mate and a bit of german steel wont do us any harm.
not saying I would turn Iniesta down obviously but at prob 30 mill or free for der hammer then its a no brainer.
Christopher Kelly
24 Posted 25/09/2012 at 16:41:17
Kevin Jones, with the creativity and rhyming of a young Eminem!

While Kev can be the hyphenate of the club, you monsieur, must become the MC!

side note: Shitzlsperger - if he signs - would deffo keep us from signing Ofoe in January as well.

Jon Cox
25 Posted 25/09/2012 at 16:45:04
Kev Johnson, I know exactly what you mean. The Europeans have a much more clinical and cold decisive way about their midfield and attack. This is why I always advocated Bilic in the manager threads. It's a personal choice of course and everyone has a right to their own views but I find the tippy toe 5 million passes before anything gets done a little to boring. A little bit like listening to Alan Brazil on talkspurs. :-)
Kev Johnson
30 Posted 25/09/2012 at 18:04:08
Brent: It's spelt with an "a" - Kevan. So, I'm a Kev but not a Kevin.

James Flynn
31 Posted 26/09/2012 at 14:41:06
Speaking of Suarez. There was an article on ESPN over here, where Gerrard was complaining that the refs are now being mean to Suarez and not giving him any calls when he falls to the ground.

What's that they say about payback?

James Fletcher
32 Posted 26/09/2012 at 15:00:58
James, there was a similar article reported in the Huffington Post. However after each quote by a Liverpool player they added, "said Steven Gerrard, who is well know for diving".
James Flynn
33 Posted 27/09/2012 at 00:50:23
James - Ha! Good one.

The EPL was getting their pound of flesh some way or another for the racism fiasco the RS caused the league last season. And it centered around the diving Suarez? AND they're a relegation side?

Gee whiz, looks who's not getting any calls.


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